Karl Norman Kelley – Finleyville

Karl Norman Kelley, 76, of Finleyville, took his last breath on Jan. 3, 2023, at Allegheny General Hospital after being found unresponsive the week prior and a lifetime struggle of health issues. He undoubtedly found his “mansion over the hilltop” on those “streets of gold.” Karl Norman was born in Philippi, W.Va., on June 14, 1946, to parents Martha Evelyn McVicker Kelley and Carl Kelley. A self-proclaimed “Barbour County Brat,” Karl Norman married young right out of high school and quickly began what is now a collage career of so many different jobs. He married Wanda Jean Beavers of Grafton, W.Va., in April 1965. They lived in Dayton, Ohio, and various cities in the surrounding area. In Ohio, his more notable jobs were as a notary, and a manager of Economy Savings & Loan. In 1969-70, they moved to Finleyville, where the family stayed and built a home. In 1973, Karl was struck in a head-on collision with a car while riding his Harley motorcycle right in the heart of Finleyville at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Route 88. Despite almost losing his leg and a long recovery, his list of jobs continued: delivery driver for Pennsylvania Macaroni, truck driver, equipment operator, manager of the Mineral Beach public pool in Finleyville, supervisor and project manager for Dick Corporation at power plant sites in Lynchburg, Va., and Dickerson, Md. After a work-related injury, Karl obtained two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He became a teacher and taught at Pittsburgh Public Schools, Wesley Institute, Bethel Park School District and Ringgold School District. He specialized in special education, history and theater arts. Before attending Pitt, though, he tried his hand at the restaurant business. Karl opened and ran Kelley’s Inn for two to three years in Finleyville, cooking his trademark spaghetti sauce, meatballs, hot sausage or sausage gravy and breakfast potatoes. In more recent years, when health issues prohibited him from teaching, he could be found snoozing in the old barber chair that caught warm winter sunshine from Finleyville Hardware’s front windows. His vast experience allowed him to assist hardware customers in their purchases. And of course, he could chat the day away, solving the world’s problems with local folks who just stopped by. As a man of so many interests and abilities, there is much to say about his life beyond work positions. He enjoyed the medical field and was a certified EMT paramedic, EMT instructor and CPR trainer, affiliated with Tri-Community Ambulance Service, Washington County EMS and Mon Valley Hospital. He was also a volunteer fireman in West Virginia at the Grafton Fire Department and volunteered many years with Finleyville Volunteer Fire Department. There he held past positions as engineer, captain and chaplain. He also certified in fire rescue and was an instructor of various advanced rescue techniques, completing certified training at Weirton Heights Rescue School, one of the biggest rescue schools on the East Coast at the time. Outside of classroom teaching, Karl coached many youth teams and directed hundreds of students in theater stage productions. His mark can be found on trophies and in team pictures of the Union Finley Bears football teams, Finley Knights football, Ringgold Rams football, Bethel Park High School football and Union Finley Area Athletic Association baseball and football. He won conference and state championships at Bethel Park and Ringgold, as well as more personal awards like the Union Finley AAA John Murray Award. He was also extremely proud to have coached several players who went on to the NFL. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he directed several one-act plays at the University of Pittsburgh and at least a dozen junior high school productions at Finley Middle School beginning in the late 1990s. Teaching on a volunteer basis, he taught how to build working sets and handle lighting rigs, along with directing blocking and dialogue. He can be remembered by quotes like “make a memory” or “ah, a teaching moment” when a practical lesson became a life lesson where he could also share his faith. As an avid car enthusiast, he tinkered with many project vehicles, much to his wife’s dismay. He had a love for both engine and body work, specifically General Motor brands — it had to be Chevrolet. He attended and entered many car shows, including organizing large annual events at Mineral Beach in the late 1970s and ’80s. But it was not just gasoline engines, there were steam engines as well. He worked on and operated many different steam engines during that same time. There were several annual steam engine shows around Washington County, which were then also held locally on the Mineral Beach property in the ’80s. Karl was a ceaseless American patriot, proud of the time his father served in World War II, and was a member of the American Legion post in Finleyville. Perhaps being born on Flag Day helped solidify him as flag-waving, hats-off, hand-over-heart, proud American, who upheld veterans and genuine American rhetoric. Karl Norman was ever proud of his Scotch-Irish, West Virginia heritage. He always cheered for West Virginia University, which humorously became a conflict of interest during “Backyard Brawl” games because he had become a Pitt alumnus. Karl Norman Kelley was predeceased by his mother and father; his son, Karl David Kelley; and son-in-law, Samuel L. Pattillo (Christi). He is survived by his wife, Jean Kelley; daughters, Christi (David) Pattillo Kulp and Heather (Brian) Latorre; a son, Garrett Kelley; grandchildren, Sami (Trey) Pattillo-Kelso, Sam Dragovich, Kelley Kulp, McKenzie Kelley, Kaybella Latorre, Connor Kelley and Nico Latorre; and a great-grandchild, Zana Pattillo-Kelso. Left behind are countless cousins, nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his siblings, Philip (Cheryl) Kelley, Steven (Debbie) Kelley and Janet Kelley Bridges. In keeping with Karl’s wishes and his desire for the advancement of medical education and research, his body was donated to the Human Gift Registry of West Virginia University. A memorial and celebration of life service will be held in Karl Norman Kelley’s honor at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Nottingham Christian Center, 1028 Linden Road, Eighty Four, PA 15330, with Brent Furlong officiating. Karl was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Finleyville, and donations may be made in his name to the church at 3595 Washington Ave., Finleyville PA 15332.